Computing device



Dec. 27, 1932. T. R. SHAW' 1,892,367

COMPUTING DEVICE Filed March 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Shee 1 l6 7 F 4 l2 V /6 CGAL VALUE TABLE TON INVE/V TOE F Q. 5H4 W 5) Y W M W ATTdE/VEYS Dec. 27, 1932. 'T. R. SHAW 1,892,367

COMPUTING DEVICE Filed March 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Shee 2 POUNDS T BUSHELS GRAIN TABLE 0 lo To beau PouN -r lzooo POUN :0 n, 000

INVENTOE THO/"$8 E. 671/! W 5) A TTOIG/VEY3 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES I THOMAS R. simmer MINNEAPOLIS, MINNEso'rA COMPUTING nnvlon Ap n catimiv filed ,March 7, 1930. Serial in. 43 ,91

This invention relates to mechanical com- 'putin'g devices of the type including movable items of information adapted to be made visible at selected locations upon thedevices,

I "merely illustrative and intended in'no; sense and usually including stationary indicesin connection-with which the items ofinformationareread. v

The object of the invention'is to; provide a device 'of the present class in which will be incorporated various novel and specific'features and characteristics of construction designed to render the present device an improvement generally over devices of similar nature heretofore known- With the above object in view, as well asv others which will appear as thespecification proceeds,jthe invention comprises the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as now to be fully describedgand as hereinafter to be specifically claimed, it being understood that the disclosure hereln 1s 2 as limiting, changes in detailsof construction part of" this specification,

W on line 22 in Fig. 1;

and arrangement of parts being permissible 'so long as within the scope ofthe' claims which follow.

' In the accompanying drawings forming a Fig. 1 is a plan view of a computingdevi ce in which the features of the invention are incorporated; M

' Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view taken Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken online3x3in Fig.1, F 4" is a longitudinal sectional view, taken as on line 4-4 in Fig. 2; r 1

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view ofthe device with the cover removed, detailing the mannerof association of the end plates with 'thebas e of the casing;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a 'niodified typeof stationary index for the device; and a q I a Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view, corresponding generally with the disclosure of Fig. 2, butshowing a "device including the ,lnodified typeof stationary index of Fig.6.

. With respect to the drawings and the'numeralsof reference thereon,10 denotes, gen= erally, the computmgdevice, which consists I sideedges 18' extending perpendicular to said I lapping the upper edge of the rear upturned turned flange.

' which i'sqb'etweenthe shafts 27 and 29, supof abase 11 having upturned fr'ont-andxrear flanges, designated 12 and 13, end walls 14 each relnovably associated with the upturned flanges 12 and 13 at the opposite endsof the base 11,:and a cover 15 detachably connected 5 to the upturnedflanges12 and 18 andfitted down against the upper edges of the re inovable endwalls 14. As more clearly shown in; Figs.- 4 and 5, the opposite ends of each of the upturned flanges 12 and'13 are shaped to provide oppositely disposed guideways 16 at the opposite ends of the base 11' in which the sideedges of the end walls 14 are snugly fitted tobe slidable. The bottom edges of the end walls are desirably fitted into beads at the/ends ofthebase 11. Each end wall is wall has a straightlower edge17, straight bottom edge and slidable in the guideways 16, and a generally curvilinear upper edge '19, which slants somewhat downwardly from rear to fron'tfof the casing; The rear: upturned flange 13 is preferably of greater width than the'front'upturned flange 12 to terminate at slightly higher elevation. The cover -15 is desirably of about the shape as best disclosed inFi'gs. 1, 2 and 3. That is to say, the cover isofcurvilinear conformation .30 V to fit against the upper edges of the end walls 14, said cover including beads 20 at its opposite ends in which the upper edges 19 of the end walls 14 lie, a rear edge portion 21 overflange 13 and having lugs 22 engaging slots 23 in said rear upturned flange, anda front edge: portion 24 overlapping the upper edge of the front upturned flange 12' and having lugs25 engagingslots 26 in said front up- The end walls 14 support shafts, denoted 27 28 and 29 respectively, the opposite ends of each shaft including-reduced portions removably fitted into openings 30 in said end walls.- The shafts 27'and 29 support rollers, designated 31 and 32, which arefreely rotatable upon said shafts. The shaft 28,

ports-a drive gear 33 withinthe casing and adjacent one of the end walls 14, the end wall at the right in Figs. 1 and 4, and said shaft 28 suitably supports a manipulating piece 34 at the outer side of said end wall 14. The shafts 27 and 29 fixedly carry pinions, designated and 36, with which the gear 33 meshes.

Each roller 31 and 32 includes end cups 37 having bearings 38 for the shafts 27 and 29, and collars 39 fixed to shafts 27 and 29 and engaging the outer *facesofsa id end cups hold the rollers 31 and 32 against longitudinal movement. A collar 39 upon each shaft 27 and 29. the collars at the leftin Fig. 4, suitably supports a spring clip 40, said spring clips encirclingsa-id collars and'ha-vingtheir outer ends 41 lying in engagement with the inner peripheries of the rollers .31 :and32 in such manner that when the manipulating piece 34 ,is rotated in one direction one of the spring clips 40 will drive its (corresponding roller by reason .Oifzthe engagement of its outer end 41 with the inner periphery of said roller, while the other spring clip will freely slide over its corresponding roller, and when said manipulating piece is rotated in opposite direction said other roller will be positively advanced while :the corresponding spring clip will freely slide over the first mentioned :roller.

Numeral 42 represents a :strip of suitable material which contains items of information and has .one of its .ends suitably and removably secured to :the roller 31 and its other end suitably and removably secured to the roller 32. As shown in Figs. 2 :and 3, the strip 42 is wound in opposite directions upon the rollers 31 andl32, so that asthe strip is :unwound from one roller it is wound upon the other roller.

Numeral 43 indicates a backing member, disposed :above the shaft 28 at about the elevation $015 the upper portions of .therollers 3-1 and 32. having its opposite ends 44 removably fitted in slots 45 in theend walls 14. An intermediate portion of the strip 42 passes over the backing member, .as will be more clear from Figs. 2', 3 :and .5.

The cover 15 has a sight aperture 46, and a stationary index 47 is removably secured .to the-inner face of said cover beneath said sight aperture, as by metal strips 48 which receive small screws 49 passing through the cover. (See Fig. Thus, the stationary index is removsrbly supported beneath the sight aperture, and can be easily replaced by a diflerent stationary index when this is desirable.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stationary index has parallel sight openings denoted 50 and 51, the opening 50 being directly above the backing member 43, and the opening .51 being directly above the roller 32. By reference to these figures, it will be apparent that the roller presents one surface of the strip 42 to the sight opening 51, while the other surface of said strip is presented at the location of the backing member 43 to the sight opening 50.

Rotation of the manipulating piece 34 will, through the gear 33 and the pinions 35 and 36, cause the rollers 31 and 32 to turn in opposite directions, to time wind the strip 42 upon one roller while unwinding said strip from the other roller. As a consequence, the rollers will,evidently, have variable rotation relatively to each other. It is for this reason that the shafts 27 and 29 having the gears 35 and 36 are not directly connected to the rollers 31 and 32, but are arranged to driveesa-id rollers .throu \thespnin clips '40. As shown in Fig. 3, 4518 spring clip at the left .isset todrive its roller when the manipulatinglpiece 34 is turned to rotate the shaft 27 in clockwise direction, and. to slide over 8 said roller when said shaft is-driveuin anticlockwise direction. The spring clip at the right insa-id 3 drives its corresponding roller when .the shaft 29 is rotated in anti clockwise'direction and slides over saidroller when :saidshaft is rotated in clockwise dined him. That tosay, when the manipulating piece 34 is rotated to advance the stri one of the rollers is posi-tiwely wound, while the other roller is .free to idle due to the winding of the strip 42 upon the roller which is positively wound.

As shown in Fig. 1,vthe stationary index 47 contains a'-Coal value table, and the stri 42 contains information to he read thru the slots 50 and 51in connection with said Coal value table. In F 6 I have shown arstat-ionary index 52 having aligning sight openings .53. The presentstationary index has thereon a .Grain table and the strip utilized with such an index would contain ituns of information in connection with which the Grain table is to function.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a cross sectimal view of a computing device, approximately similar to the device already escrivberl, but having thereon a stationary index 52 with a single row of sight openings 53. In the present instance, the strip need not pass from the lower edges of the rollers 31 and 32 upwardly over the backing member 43., because but a single side of the strip is to be displayed. As shown in F ig. 7, the strip 42 passes directly from the tops of the rollers 31 and 32 over the backing member. I

In manufacturing the present computing device, the shafts .27, 28 111x129, having thereon the rollers and gears as described, and the backing member 43, will be associated with the end walls 14 while removed from the base 11. The unit consisting of said end walls, shafts, rollers, gears, and backing member will then be associated with the base 11 by sliding the edges 18 of said end walls 14 into the guideways 16 of the upturned flanges 12 and 13 upon saidbase, in the manner as Wlll be clear from Fig. 5. Thereafter, the

cover 15 will be fitted down upon the upper edges of said end Walls, aud t-he lugs upon the front and rear edge portions of said cover will be made to engage the slots in the front and rear upturned flanges. Obviously, the

- casing of the computing device will thus be securely closed, but can be easily taken apart by a reversal of the operations as just described. r I

Animporta-nt feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the computing device can be made standard to be utilized inconnection with movable items of information upon the strip 42' of' any character, the only changes in the device to adapt it for a different use being replacement of an un-ev suitable strip 42 by a suitable strip, and the replacement of an unsuitable stationary dex 47 by a suitable one., The stationary 1ndices 47 are very readily removable and re placeable simply by withdrawal and proper replacement of the screw/l9. The strips 42 can be just as easily removed and replaced.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character described,

a casing including a base, upstanding front and rear flanges upon said base and having guideways at the opposite end portions thereof, removable end walls for said casing substantially vertically slidable in said guideways, and a web supporting roller mounted in said end walls tosconnect the same, said removable end wallsand said web supporting roller together constituting a separable unit of the device.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing including a base, upstanding front and rear flanges upon said base and having sub-- stantially vertical guideways at the opposite end portions thereof, removable end walls for said casing having their endmarginal portions slidably mounted in said guideways and their lower edges engaging said base, and

a web supporting roller having its opposite end portions 'removably mounted in said end walls, said web supporting roller and said end walls being. assoeiable with said guideways' as a separable unit;

3. In a device of the characterdescribed,

a casing including a base, upstanding front and rear'flanges upon said base and having guideways at the opposite end portions thereof, removable end walls for said casing substantially vertically slidable in said guide ways, spaced apart web supporting rollers mounted in said end walls, and a web backing member mounted 111 said end walls, said end walls, supporting rollers, and backing member together constituting a separable unit of the device.

4. Ina device of the character described, a casing including'a base, upstanding front and rearflanges upon said base andv having substantially vertical guideways at the op- I posite end portions thereof, removable end Jwalls for said casing having their end mar-- ginal portions slidably mounted in said guideways and their lower edges engaging said base, spaced apart web supporting rollers having their opposite end portions removably mounted in said end walls, and a web backing member having its opposite end portions removably mounted in said end walls, said end walls, supporting rollers, and backing of the device. I

5. In a device of the character described, a

one unit of said device, said removable end walls and supporting roller constituting a second unit of'said device, and said coverconstituting a third unit of said device, said Seemember together constituting a separable unit 0nd unit as such being associable with s'aid first mentioned unit, and said third unit being s associable with said first mentioned unit to,

together therewith, house said second unit.

6; In a device of the character described,

a casing including a base, upstanding front and rear flanges upon said base and having guideways at the opposite end portions thereof, removableendwalls for said casing slidable in said guideways, a web supporting roller mounted in said end walls, and a cover removably fitted upon said end walls, said cover includingfront and rear portions overlapping said frontand rear flanges, respectively, and said portions and flanges including complemental means detachably'securing said cover to said base, said base and upstanding front and rearflanges upon said base and having said guideways constituting one unit of saiddev ce, said removable end walls and supporting roller constituting a second unit of said device, and said cover constituting a third unit of said device, said second unit as such being associable with said I first mentioned unit, and said third unit being associable with said first mentioned unit to cover said's'econd unit.

1 In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of March, 1930."

. THOMAS R. SHAW. 

